


ice in my veins

by hollyhobbit101



Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [12]
Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Bad Things Happen Bingo, Falling Through Ice, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hurt Carlos Reyes, Hurt TK Strand, Hurt/Comfort, Hypothermia, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:33:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28180218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hollyhobbit101/pseuds/hollyhobbit101
Summary: Carlos only turns away for a second, he swears. Unfortunately, a second is clearly ample time for his boyfriend to get into trouble because when Carlos turns back around, TK is no longer standing where he left him.Instead, there’s a sizable hole in the ice.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1691701
Comments: 6
Kudos: 100
Collections: Bad Things Happen Bingo





	ice in my veins

**Author's Note:**

> the strength it took not to title this fic 'ice, ice, baby'.........unparalleled.
> 
> Anon: Hey! For the bad things happening Can you do falling through the ice with tarlos? Thank you!

Carlos only turns away for a second, he swears. Unfortunately, a second is clearly ample time for his boyfriend to get into trouble because when Carlos turns back around, TK is no longer standing where he left him.

Instead, there’s a sizable hole in the ice.

It takes a second for the dots to connect. When they finally do, panic seizes in his chest, crawling up his throat and suffocating him. It’s panic that keeps him rooted to the spot, feet stuck on the bank of the lake as he watches and waits for any sign of TK.

The seconds tick interminably on, and Carlos forces himself to shake off his stupor. He casts about wildly for something,  _ anything,  _ that will help him rescue T.K., but the snow is deep and covers everything that could possibly be of use. The place where TK disappeared is too far away to reach by himself, and their phones are back at the car.

A stupid decision, in retrospect, but neither of them had seen anything like this happening. 

His heart is screaming at him to stay and keep watch, in case T.K. needs his help, but his head and training knows he needs to do everything he can. Which means going for the phone.

He’s about to turn and sprint back, when suddenly there’s a burst of movement from the lake and TK emerges, coughing and clawing at the ice to pull himself up. Carlos is frozen in shock for a second before he pulls himself together, stretching out as far as he can to grab onto his boyfriend’s hands. 

“TK!” he gasps, snatching him just before TK slips below the ice again. Carlos himself begins to slide down the bank, only saved by luck when his foot catches on a root. He groans, pain lancing through his ankle and a dull ache spreading down his arms, but tightens his grip, forcing himself to use this newfound leverage to pull them both up.

They collapse on the bank together, TK wrapped tightly in Carlos’s arms. He’s shivering violently and his skin is alarmingly pale, which kicks Carlos back into action, exhausted though he is.

It takes more effort than his body wants to give, but eventually Carlos gets them both standing, TK leaning heavily on him. They stagger back to the car, taking far too long for Carlos’s liking, but there’s no way to speed them up without one or both of them ending up flat on their faces in the snow, which is an outcome Carlos will do anything to avoid. 

“Come on,” he pants. “We’re almost there.”

As soon as they reach the car, he’s bundling TK inside, pulling blankets and spare clothes out of the trunk and practically throwing them at his boyfriend. TK sluggishly attempts to pull a blanket around his shoulders, but he fumbles and drops it, eyes drooping shut.

“Hey, no you don’t!” Carlos says, climbing into the car himself and shutting the doors. He starts the engine and turns the heating on, phone already pressed to his ear because there’s no way he’s going to be able to drive to the hospital  _ and  _ look after TK.

Carlos hasn’t had much experience with hypothermia, being Texas-born and raised, but he knows enough to last them until help arrives - he hopes. The dispatcher on the line with him claims an ambulance will be there soon, but Carlos knows as well as anyone in emergency services that these things can’t be counted on.

“I thought you told me this trip to New York would be fun,” he says as calmly as he can, helping TK out of his wet clothes and into the dry ones.

TK laughs weakly. “S-Sorry,” he stutters, teeth chattering as he shivers.

“Save the apologies for when you’re not freezing to death.” Carlos pulls off his wooly hat and jams it over TK’s head, despite his feeble attempts to bat him away. “Stay still, tonto,” he says. 

“Sorry,” TK repeats.

Carlos rolls his eyes fondly, pulling the blanket a little more securely around TK. “What did I say about apologies?”

TK opens his mouth again, presumably for yet another ‘Sorry’, but he’s interrupted by the ambulance sirens; a sound which, given the circumstances, is music to Carlos’s ears. TK’s shivering has slowed slightly, but his breathing sounds a lot more laboured than when Carlos had pulled him out of the lake, and his eyes kept slipping closed. Carlos forces himself out of the car, wincing as his injured leg protests at having weight put on it, but he keeps going, waving to the paramedics. 

They load TK into the ambulance quickly and Carlos jumps in with him, grabbing TK’s hand. 

He sighs, letting himself relax just a fraction. “I’m never going to have a moment’s peace with you, am I?” he asks, smiling wryly at TK.

TK smiles back. “You love it,” he replies hoarsely. 

Carlos shakes his head, laughing, but TK’s right. He does love it - and he wouldn’t change it for the world.

**Author's Note:**

> happy holidays everyone! i am currently accepting prompts on my tumblr @morganaspendragonss - come say hi!


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